Maradona 'Hand of God' shirt to go on display during World Cup

The shirt that Diego Maradona wore when he scored his infamous 'Hand of God' goal against England in 1986 will go on display in Qatar during the World Cup just five months after it set a record price at auction, a top official said.

The shirt, which sold for $9.3 million to a secret buyer, has been loaned to Qatar's 3-2-1 sports museum and will go on display until April 1.

Qatar has not named the shirt's new owner, who paid a then record price for any sports memorabilia object, but negotiations are understood to have started just weeks after the May 4 auction.

Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, head of Qatar Museums and a member of the Persian Gulf state's ruling family, said she was "excited" to have secured the shirt for a special World Cup exhibition.

"The jersey has been through quite a journey," she added.

"Starting with the moment when England midfielder Steve Hodge swapped jerseys with Maradona after the match, in what now seems an inspired move."

Maradona scored both goals in the World Cup quarter-final 2-1 victory over England in Mexico City's Aztec Stadium in 1986.

The game has become one of the most talked about in football history and embellished the legendary status of Maradona, who died from a heart attack in November 2020 at the age of 60.

Wearing the number 10 shirt, Maradona punched the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton for the first goal, saying later it had been "a little with the head of Maradona, a little with the hand of God."